When the sun's shining, and the holidays close enough to touch, an invitation to lunch waterside is too good to pass up.  The challenge is to find a table free from tourists, which is easy to get to, and able to take a booking this side of the New Year.  

Balmoral's Public Dining Room ( http://www.publicdiningroom.com.au ) at 2a The Esplanade is a white, breezy space magically inserted into the public toilets building.  The soothing waves roll gently onto the sandy beach as kids run shrieking along the slatted wooden pathway on top of the netted pool area.  It's one of those perfect Sydney summer days.  A cooling breeze.  Clouds skating across the sky providing dimpled sunshine.  Tables far enough apart that you have to strain to hear the sideline conversations.  A nice weighty knife.  Warm Sonoma bread.  Comfortable seats.  This is starting to look like a fabulous choice.

The menu is also impressive - plenty of seasonal ingredients, paired with commonsense and not too many flourishes.  My entree of plump scallops atop a ribbon of smooth cauliflower puree arrive with a stiff banner of crispy pancetta is just as it should be.

classic pairing - scallops, silky cauliflower puree, and great crispy bacon

The main is simple.  Well-cooked moist bass grouper - mine's served with a side of beans because of my warfarin medication rather than the usual new season spring vegetables, almond & kalamata crumble, and pickled leeks.  

Public Dining is relaxed in a beachside way while providing good food, cooked very well, in a spacious, airy restaurant. The wine list is extensive and reasonably priced and I can vouch for the variety of mocktails (who'd have thought that day would come!).  Plus, it's kid-friendly with a Young Adults Menu which met the approval of discerning 5-year-old Miss Alex (as did the fact that she could play on the beach while Dad kept a watchful eye on her from the table)

Definitely worth adding to your list of must-visit venues in Sydney and make sure you leave time to linger.